former prime minister, Ehud Olmertwas interviewed this evening (Saturday) by Amit Segal and Ben Caspit in ‘Meet the Press’ and in his words referred to the Iranian attack, the Israeli response and the future of fighting in the Gaza Strip.
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In Iran they scoff: “The Israeli attack was small, we launched dozens of missiles”
Regarding the Iranian attack, he said: “What happened last night was perhaps the greatest achievement of the State of Israel in terms of military. This operation, which stopped hundreds of missiles using three different interception systems and all the coordination with the other countries, requires genius planning. The achievement is tremendous. The Iranians understand this. We humiliated them and they had to search to show some damage to the sprouts.”
In response to the question of how he would react to the attack if he were now sitting in the prime minister’s chair, Olmert answered: “In normal reality, when there is no war for six months, I would say that we will repay them with our wits, but when we are still in the middle of this turmoil we have to think about priorities.”
Regarding the reaction of Minister Itamar Ben Gabir, who tweeted “Dardella” after the reports of an attack in Iran, Olmert said: “The reaction of the Minister of National Security proved once again how scoundrel, disturbed and irresponsible a person he is. To say that Dardella is just Someone who has not served in the army can say. Even such an operation as we did last night required planning, coordination and professional ability. There is no air force in the world that is capable of doing what these “anarchist” air force pilots are capable of.
Itamar Ben Gabir and Ehud Olmert (Photo: Maariv Online)
Olmert emphasized: “If the countries had not cooperated with us, then we would not have blocked 99.9% but only 75% of the missiles. We achieved our entire sense of self-confidence because of the genius and courage of the Air Force and because of the cooperation with the Americans.”
He also said: “I think the Iranians know very well that our capabilities to get there exist. In my time, the reality was completely different. As part of the cooperation with the Americans on the Iranian issue, amazing things were done that caused the Iranians to be shocked and scared. The American withdrawal from the nuclear agreement they made with Iran was a disastrous decision, which caused to accelerate the nuclear intensification and it would have been possible to prevent it.”
Later, Olmert referred to his tenure as prime minister and said: “The Second Lebanon War was our greatest strategic achievement. We received 17 years of peace. Resolution 1701 was enforced for 4 years and during the entire period that I was prime minister. Only after the Shalit deal did Hezbollah begin to drop from the litany.”
Soldiers in the Second Lebanon War (Photo: Pierre Turgeman, Flash 90)
Regarding the Shalit deal and the prospects for a hostage deal, he said: “Shalit was a soldier. We send soldiers to fight knowing that sometimes they will not return and sometimes they will go into captivity. If Shalit’s deal was on the agenda today, I would be equally opposed to it,” he said, adding firmly, “the unfaithful Israeli government the south. 240 people were kidnapped, 1,400 people were massacred and raped, and the prime minister is now telling Yahya Sinwar ‘that I will release 30 prisoners for every Israeli soldier?’
At the end of the interview, the former prime minister said: “We refuse to admit the fact that we have ended the war. I cautiously estimate that if I were the prime minister on the seventh of the month and I wasn’t having a nervous breakdown like the prime minister, I would first of all make a deal for the exchange of prisoners, before the fighting. Anyone who thinks that it can be achieved now A complete victory misleads the public at this point in time there is no other way but to return all the abductees and the reckoning with Gaza will take a long time to finish.”
